Among the consistent top selling USB flash drives at the moment is the innovative LaCie iamaKey. This is, as its name suggests, a flash drive that looks and feels a lot like a key. The idea behind it is pretty simple. Many of us have key rings that we carry around all day. So why not add a USB Flash Drive in a shape and form that works well with the keys so that a) you always have your drive with you should you need it and b) you can carry around data that you regularly need.
So what sort of data might you not want to leave home without? I have a lot of different passwords for various websites and the like. So I recently bought some password management software that keeps them all encrypted for easy use on a USB drive (I use RoboForm, if you are interested). In theory I could stick them on any drive and just try hard to remember to pop it into my pocket. As I’ve mentioned before I’m a huge fan of the SanDisk 16GB and now own several of these (so much so that it has become a problem for me figuring out which has got what data on it). There is no reason for me not to keep my passwords on that. But I liked the idea of having my passwords on a key. Besides, I never leave my keys at home, unlike my USB drives that I’m always forgetting at home or at the office.
The other great thing about this drive is that it feels really sturdy and I get the feeling that it would take a lot to destroy it. To be fair it gets some mixed reviews and I’ll lay out some of the positives and negatives that people report about the LaCie key.
The main advantages of the LaCie iamaKey
The big advantages of this drive are its small size, good storage and robust housing that makes it pretty sturdy. It also comes in a range of capacities from 8 GB all the way up to 32 GB.
It doesn’t get lost
It is strong
The main disadvantages
The biggest complaint that people make about the LaCie key is that it is slow. Its data transfer rate isn’t as great as some other drives and you’d expect better from a premier name such as LaCie. That said, there are sometimes complaints about the speed of the SanDisk cruzer whereas I’ve never found it much of a problem. Sure, it can take a while if you are moving big files, but for retrieval such as watching movies or listening to music I’ve never had any trouble.
The other big complaint about the key drive is reliability. A couple of users have reported failure after 6 months. It is difficult to know without decent data what the failure rate is and whether it is any worse than for other thumb drives by other manufacturers.
Another issue is that the plastic plugs that cover the connectors are easily lost.
LaCie iamaKey 8 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive 130870 With the new LaCie iamaKey, inventive storage meets data protection. The key-shaped design is functional and memorable, and the protection that the LaCie… $26.33
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LaCie iamaKey 16 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive 130871 (Silver) With the new LaCie iamaKey, inventive storage meets data protection. The key-shaped design is functional and memorable, and the protection that the LaCie… $47.99
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LaCie itsaKey 8 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive 130873 Introducing the LaCie itsaKey, a fun new way to store your data in your pocket. The inventive, key-shaped design helps it fit onto a keyring, and into… $26.25
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